Chapter 13—Exorcists in America

August 22, 2013—The Dark Order, Main Branch

Yuu woke up happy. It was the first time he could remember being happy in the morning. Lavi's legs tangled with his, and the other man had an arm around Yuu's shoulder. The other was propping his head up, and he gazed past Yuu, his eye moving rapidly from side to side.

"Mornin', Yuu," he mumbled, his eye still moving.

"What are you doing, Baka Usagi?" He asked, pulling himself slightly closer to the other man's warmth.

"Readin'," Lavi replied shortly. The redhead shifted, and Yuu saw a book fly across the room. Lavi sat up, smiling down at him. "'Bout time you got up. I'm famished."

Yuu grunted, pulling the warm covers back around him as he realized how naked he was. He stared at Lavi, who had at some time put on his boxers, as the other man dressed. He felt something strange, and his heart beat faster to it. He couldn't understand it. It was too much like when his father had forced him to react, but this time he was doing it on his own. He didn't understand why. He knew he cared for Lavi, more than he'd ever cared for anyone—even his mother. He also knew from the previous night that he didn't mind kissing the other man, that it made him feel very good. But he couldn't understand it. Throughout his entire memory, kisses had been horrible things, and he had never wanted them.

But just like everything else, Lavi was different. For some unknown reason, Yuu wanted to kiss Lavi, he wanted to do other physical things, and above all, he wanted to simply be with the other man.

The redhead in question was currently struggling to get his shirt over his head, tottering unevenly as he lost his balance and fell with a heavy crash to the floor. Yuu sat up, his tangled hair falling over his scarred chest.

"Lavi…" he started, but the other man finally got the shirt on and smiled broadly at Yuu.

"No problem! I'm just fine!" Lavi said cheerfully, standing up again. He turned around to put on his boots, and Yuu couldn't help but stare.

Before leaving the room, Lavi walked over to Yuu and smiled lightly down at him, his green eye soft. He leaned down on the bed, staring Yuu deep in the eyes—or eye, or whatever, it all equated to the same thing.

"Thanks for telling me, Yuu," he said, his voice as soft as his eye. He leaned over and kissed Yuu lightly on the cheek, his lips lingering for only a second before he pulled away. Yuu felt his heart start pounding against his ribs. Then, ruining the moment, Lavi lightly tapped his cheek twice. "Get dressed. I'll see you at breakfast," and he walked out of the room.

Yuu took his time getting ready. He found his movements stiff, as if he hadn't walked in a long time. He made a mental note to ask Lavi how long he'd been asleep. He had no illusions that he hadn't been out of it for a while. He had heard too many incoherent conversations for him to think it had only been a day or two. He took a long shower, letting the hot water run over his tired muscles and loosen them up. When he finally left, he saw Lavi there, gawking stupidly at his teeth in the mirror.

"What did you do this time?" He asked incredulously, though it came out more like a growl. Thankfully, Lavi seemed to understand.

"I'm counting my teeth," Lavi replied.

"Why?" Yuu was thoroughly bewildered.

"I've always wanted to know if there were really thirty-two."

Yuu scoffed. "And are there?" He asked despite himself.

"Yes," Lavi answered, following Yuu out of the bathroom. "Are you all ready, Yuu?"

Yuu nodded. "Let me put this away first," he muttered, gesturing to his damp towel. Lavi nodded, and they stopped in Yuu's room before continuing on to breakfast together.

They walked in silence, and Yuu's earlier thoughts began to resurface. He took a steadying breath and laid the truths out in front of him. He cared very deeply about Lavi. He cared about the man's wellbeing, his moods, his preferences, and his thoughts. He cared about what the other man thought about him. If Lavi had shown any signs of rejection or revulsion the previous night, he didn't know how he would have ended up. He was also attracted to the man. The thought didn't disgust him—not in the normal way. He didn't mind the fact that it was Lavi he was attracted to, nor that Lavi was a man. What disgusted him were his reactions. Even though he hadn't wanted to, he had reacted physically to his father's abuse, and he felt utterly dirtied for it. The thought of Lavi doing those things to him didn't bother him—but it should have. But everything about Lavi was different. He needed to know that it was okay to feel these things, that his reactions were alright to have.

As they neared the door to the dining hall, Yuu steeled his nerve and pushed Lavi against the wall with just enough force to get the man's attention. He stared deeply into Lavi's shocked eye and forced himself to say something.

"Can I… kiss you?" It wasn't exactly what he had been going for, but he wanted to do something with Lavi, to make sure it was okay to react to the other man's embraces.

Lavi's green eye widened a bit more, and then his face settled into a soft look. "You don't have to ask," he said softly. Yuu swallowed nervously and brought his lips to touch Lavi's. It was the first time he'd initiated any contact between the two of them—or anyone, for that matter.

Sweet sensations danced across his lips, and his heart beat in tandem with them. Tentatively, still testing himself, Yuu ran his tongue across Lavi's lower lip. The man inhaled lightly, and his mouth opened obediently. Lavi did not push the kiss any further, he simply waited for Yuu to decide what to do. Yuu decided to deepen the kiss.

"Jesus fucking Peter on a bagel, guys!"

Yuu tore his mouth from Lavi's and stepped back, blinking owlishly at the Infernal Girl. Her hand was outstretched to the wall, a bagel planted firmly against it by the cream cheese. Yuu's face felt extremely hot.

"I don't have a problem with you guys doing that, but seriously! I don't like seeing anyone make out—especially when I'm eating a bagel!"

"What does the bagel have to do with anything?" Lavi asked, blushing and slightly breathless.

"The bagel is my sacred food! It's pure and holy and all things good, and I don't want it tainted with lust! Lust is a sin, you know!" She put a hand to her forehead dramatically, and Yuu scoffed. Someone should have told his father that. "Dammit, now I need a new bagel!" She stormed back toward the dining hall, returning minutes later with a new bagel in her hand.

She paused, seeing that Yuu and Lavi were still rooted to the spot. She raised up a hand in a gesture of apology. "Not that I have anything against you two being gay or anything, I just don't want my bagel ruined."

Lavi blinked.

"We're happy?" Yuu asked blankly.

Amanda hit her head with her bagel. "SHIT!" She yelled, pulling the bagel from her forehead and trying to wipe off the cream cheese. Lavi stepped over, reaching out to help.

"I assume 'gay' is no longer an adequate term for 'happy,'" he stated quietly as he rubbed the last of the cream cheese from her hairline. Yuu felt an unbidden twinge in his stomach.

"Nope!" Amanda said, shooting them a bright smile. "It means 'homosexual!'"

Lavi snorted. "How did that happen?" He asked.

"I dunno, ask Darcy—or actually, Wiki it."

"Do what?"

"Wiki it. Y'know, go on Wikipedia. It's where I get all my info. It's, like, this awesome encyclopedia on the internet that anyone can add to."

Lavi smiled, and Yuu thought it was bordering on mischievous.

"Anyone can add to it, you say?" He asked, his grin growing still wider. Amanda nodded, and Yuu had to pull the stupid rabbit into the dining hall before he could run to one of the computer labs and go on this Wikipedia, or whatever it was called.

They had a light breakfast, and Yuu even tried some of Lavi's eggs as they were placed on his tray. They were as disgusting as he had thought. He decided he'd stick with Japanese cuisine whenever possible. Yuu sighed, resigning himself to another horrible breakfast. He tapped on the serving window, but no one was there.

"Well, you know what! I'll make it myself!" A voice shouted from the kitchen. An angry woman walked up to the service window and leaned out. Her scrunched-up face relaxed into an expression of surprise when she saw him. "Oh! You're new, aren't you? Can't say I'm not, but I didn't think there was another Japanese Exorcist here."

Yuu grunted.

"Want some soba?" She asked, and Yuu found himself nodding. He'd missed the buckwheat noodles. "HEY, ANYONE ELSE WANT SOBA!" She shouted down the line. A few people responded affirmatively, and a while later, Yuu sat down with a steaming bowl of his favorite dish. He breathed in the scent and smiled contentedly.

Lavi dropped his fork. Yuu looked up at the noise and was revolted to find Lavi's mouth wide open and full of eggs.

"What's with your face, Baka Usagi?" He asked, picking up his chopsticks and pulling them apart.

"Yuu, you… smiled," Lavi said unbelievingly, swallowing. "It was almost—well, actually, it was really… sexy."

"Hatsudou," Yuu growled, grabbing Mugen's hilt as it formed.

"No, don't hurt me!" Lavi shouted, throwing his arms up to cover his face.

"Che."

"I missed that noise," Lavi murmured, relaxing and swallowing another enormous wad of eggs.

Yuu dismissed the comment and gratefully began to eat his first Japanese meal in weeks. Despite his previously unrealized hunger, he ate slowly, savoring each bite. It wasn't as good as his mother's, and it was definitely not up to par with Jerry's, but it was soba nonetheless.

The bench scraped next to him, and the other Japanese Exorcist sat down uncomfortably close. Yuu shivered slightly, still unsure of making contact with others. He scooted infinitesimally away, and he was glad when Lavi covered his action by pulling their company into a bright, loud conversation.

"I'm Lavi. I've never seen you around; did Allen bring you back?" He asked, spreading jam over his toast. It was his usual strawberry jam.

"Oh, I'm Sasaki Emiko, age 21, a Taurus, blood type AB negative, single, and looking," she replied, winking at Lavi suggestively. "Oh, and yes, Allen did," she added after pausing a moment, one eye still closed.

"Er, I'm 136, a Leo, type O, and one hundred percent taken," he replied, shooting her a broad grin. Yuu choked a little on his soba. Lavi had never said anything about them being… together. He shuddered at the thought. He didn't think he was quite prepared for any relationship, let alone one with Lavi. Still, he had to ignore the prickle in his stomach as Sasaki-san flirted outrageously with Lavi. His Lavi.

Wait. What?

It didn't matter who Lavi flirted with, damn it.

"Oh, who are you with? Do I know her?" The voice was distant, as Yuu was too far gone in thought to hear it clearly.

He jumped as he felt an arm slide lightly around his neck. Clarity returned with Lavi's close presence, and Yuu's heart sped up. For once, it had nothing to do with fear.

"You're looking at the gay couple here!" Lavi said too loudly. Half the dining hall looked over. "That was a double entendre, did you get it?" He laughed.

Yuu smacked him upside the head. "Stop being stupid, Baka," he said coldly before turning back to his breakfast, doing his best to ignore the stares. It wasn't hard. He didn't care about any of them—most of them would be dead in a week anyway.

As they finished, Moyashi and Lenalee walked in, holding hands. Yuu scoffed at them in his head. Of all the oblivious people in the world, these two were at the top of the list. At least he knew he felt something for Lavi. He'd known for a long time, really, but he had never acknowledged it. But these two didn't have the faintest idea. It was enough to make anyone want to hit their head on the wall hard enough to cause a concussion.

"Oh, Kanda-kun, you're finally awake!" Lenalee exclaimed, waving a hand in greeting as they caught sight of each other. She came up to him and leaned forward as if to give him a pat on the arm, but she doubled back, thinking better of it. For the first time, Yuu felt a twinge of annoyance. Had she always been doing that?

Swallowing his pride, he reached out to her instead, patting her lightly on her shoulder as she sat down. "…Thank you… for… worrying," he said slowly, haltingly, averting his eyes.

He looked up in time to see Lenalee's eyes widen. She smiled brightly and nodded. "I'm just glad you're okay," she said, her voice tight with some unintelligible emotion. Yuu had the uncomfortable notion that it was joy. He didn't understand joy.

"Lavi," Lenalee called as they began to move away. He looked over at her, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah?"

"You need to go down to Hevlaska's chamber. The Grand Marshalls want to see you. They've made their decision." She nodded politely to them and turned around to eat her breakfast.

Yuu sent a questioning glance Lavi's way. "What the fuck?" He asked eloquently.

Lavi fiddled a bit with his hands. "Er, well, we were kinda on trial for, er…" He mumbled something about a stupid Director, and Yuu growled.

"Speak up, retard."

"Don't treat me like Allen," Lavi said, offended. As if to lighten his tone, he looked over at Yuu and smiled. "I, er, almost killed Smith."

Yuu stared back incredulously, his mouth hanging open in an undignified manner.

"It was an accident… mostly. He did deserve it, though!" Lavi defended himself with a blush of guilt on his face.

"What did he do?"

"He, er, promise me you won't go running after him, ne?"

Yuu nodded.

"He called you a Chinese hermaphrodite. It was kinda the last straw, y'know?" Lavi looked over at Yuu, whose lips were twitching up in silent laughter. His eye widened.

"How is that funny?" He asked incredulously.

"How burned did he get?" Yuu asked grimly, losing his fight to keep his lips neutral. A small smile sat amusedly on his face, and Lavi did a double take.

"Not burned enough because a sprout got in the way," he replied. Smiling brightly, the other man threw his arms around Yuu's shoulders, forcing him to the ground.

"What was that for, Baka Usagi?" He growled, trying to push the other man off him, but Lavi had steadfastly attached himself to Yuu's waist.

"That's the second time you've smiled today, and I just couldn't help myself!" He exclaimed, grinning a broad but genuine grin.

Yuu scoffed, turning his head away and trying again to push the annoying idiot off him.

"So why am I on trial?"

"Ah, insubordination!" The redhead shouted in his ear. "But I've basically cleared you of that so you don't have to worry." He added quickly.

"What about you?" Yuu asked, for some reason, genuinely worried.

"Oh, no problem," Lavi dismissed immediately, patting him on the back lightly, "I've managed to convince them that I'm crazy, so it's really no problem." Yuu managed to pull far enough away to glare at the idiot in front of him.

"They're going to lock you up!" He said incredulously.

"Oh, no they won't!" Lavi said cheerfully, waving a dismissive hand next to Yuu's ear.

"You are entirely too confident for your own good," Yuu responded bluntly.

"You just have no trust in my abilities," Lavi pouted.

"No, I have complete trust in your abilities, which is why I'm…" his voice trailed off, but he made himself finish quietly, "worried."

"Aww, I knew you cared, Yuu-chan," Lavi teased.

"I already told you that on the deck, Baka Usagi," Yuu said gruffly. "Now come on, let's go."

Grudgingly, Lavi let Yuu go and stood up. Dusting off his pant legs, he continued down the hall, not waiting for Yuu to follow. The redhead strolled easily into the large chamber, his arms resting behind his head. He had chattered loudly on their way down, and it reminded Yuu very much of how annoying the other man could be. His hand twitched repeatedly to Mugen, but he knew that that particular threat would never work again—Lavi knew he would never be able to do it. He'd have to think of something less… life-threatening.

"Good morning, gentlemen—or gentleladies, as I can't see what gender you are," the middle Grand Marshall said from his illuminated chair. Yuu bristled at the comment, but he let it go. Having light shining in one's eyes all day wasn't conducive to seeing one's audience.

"Good mooooorning!" Lavi shouted out, waving a cheery hand at the ominous group above.

"Ah," one of the other Grand Marshalls said, "it's the ex-Bookman."

The one in the middle cleared his throat. "We have come to a decision," he said authoritatively.

"Aaaand?" Lavi asked annoyingly.

"We have had Smith replaced, and we will ignore the insubordination should the two of you continue going on missions—"

"See, it's not so bad, Yuu!" Lavi grinned over at him.

The Grand Marshall cleared his throat again. "As I was saying, as long as the two of you continue with your missions, the insubordination will be ignored. As for your murder attempt, Exorcist Lavi, we found you incapable of making rational decisions and would like you to be assessed by a psych professional in our hospital wing before you're sent out again."

Lavi's grin slipped a little, but a fake one replaced it. "Gotcha, Marshie! So, when should I go in?"

"As soon as possible."

Lavi nodded. "Anything else?"

"No."

"Then c'mon, Yuu-chan, let's go!" Lavi threw his arms up and one landed around his shoulders. Yuu allowed the contact as he was dragged from the chamber. When they reached Yuu's room, his heart rate had finally found a regular, if twittering, beat.

Lavi sat on Yuu's bed, and Yuu found himself pulling his desk chair to sit across from the rabbit. His heart immediately returned to normal when he saw Lavi's face. There was nothing outwardly wrong with it Lavi was smiling, as usual, but his eye showed a completely different emotion, one that not even his amazing acting skills could hide.

"Lavi, what's wrong?" Yuu asked, staring the other man directly in the eye. Lavi jumped as if he hadn't expected anyone to see past his façade.

"Eh?"

"You're expression's all wrong. What are you upset about?" Yuu asked, leaning forward, pinning Lavi in place with his eyes.

"I – I'm upset?" Lavi asked, sounding genuinely shocked, but Yuu knew better. Grabbing the man's wrists, trying to be careful of the injuries, he pinned Lavi to his mattress. "Oh, Yuu, I didn't think you would be so forward," Lavi said in a fluttery voice.

"Shut up," Yuu growled, tightening his grip on Lavi's wrists. He paused. Something felt strange. He looked at one and saw lines not of stitches but of Innocence. He reminded himself to ask Lavi about this development later—and now he remembered the man using his hands just as he had before he'd ruined them—and he turned his attention back to Lavi's face, which had lost its grin and was desperately trying to regain it. "You don't have to pretend with me."

The man's face still seemed determined to save its cheery mask, the one that "Lavi" always wore.

"Stop trying to be 'Lavi' and be yourself for once," Yuu hissed, resisting the urge to hit the other man.

Lavi looked as if he'd been slapped anyway. "I… what?" His mask was gone again, just as it had been since the night before, when Yuu had awoken for the first time in who knew how long. A look of confusion now spread across Lavi's face, as if he hadn't realized what he had been doing.

"You were being 'Lavi,'" Yuu said in a clipped tone. Lavi shrunk back, though Yuu didn't know why.

"Sorry," he muttered after a long time, and he stopped trying to sink into the mattress. "I just… really don't want to be assessed. I know I'm messed up, I don't need others telling me that."

Yuu pulled on the other man's wrists, and the redhead came flying up into his arms. Holding Lavi tightly, Yuu said, "Then don't let them assess you."

Lavi looked confused. Yuu sighed and clarified. "Show up like you're supposed to, listen to their questions, but don't give them any real answers." Lavi looked absolutely shocked, as if the thought of lying had never come to the world's biggest liar. "How do you think I got through it?" Yuu added.

"You were…?"

"When I got back with Tiedoll. They were worried I'd try to commit suicide. They were stupid, though; I'd long since stopped trying—it wasn't worth it. The idiot doctor kept going on about how suicide was a sin and a betrayal to the Order. He was an idiot."

"You said 'idiot' twice to describe the doctor," Lavi commented, and when Yuu looked into his eye, he thought the other man looked much more peaceful.

"Che," he said, unable to think of any other response.

"I really did miss that," Lavi said quietly, squeezing Yuu just a little bit. Yuu growled but let Lavi do what he wanted.

There was a knock on the door, and the Moyashi's voice came from outside, "Kanda, Lavi, we've got a meeting in the Director's office."

Lavi hissed in anger, but he reluctantly let Yuu go, and they walked together with Moyashi and Lenalee to the familiar office.

August 22, 2013—The Dark Order, Main Branch

Allen strode down the hallway, hand-in-hand with Lenalee. They had spent the night talking on his bed, and it had taken a toll on Allen. He could now feel the Musician's presence, but the Noah was so heavily chained in the back of his mind that it hardly seemed to matter. Still, as he had tried very hard not to think things he wasn't supposed to, he had heard the Musician sing out praises of his beloved girl. It seemed the Musician liked her, too, and for some reason, Allen was strangely happy about that. It was like his entire mind was focused on Lenalee, and having the Noah in his mind had stopped being an everyday struggle. He had been absolutely elated the night before, especially since Lenalee was there and the Musician wasn't. Mostly.

"Kanda-kun seems to be getting better," Lenalee said as they passed a young man with blond hair dressed in street clothes.

"I'm glad—I'll even let him call me Moyashi for a day," Allen replied, squeezing her hand. Her smile grew a little bit brighter.

Laaaaa, sang the Musician. Allen drowned him out with thoughts of Lenalee. Even though the Noah was returning, it wasn't enough for him to be truly bothered with.

"Allen Walker!"

Allen and Lenalee both turned back to see the blond man hailing them, an arm outstretched as it waved.

"Yes?" Allen said, his tone coming out more questioning than he'd meant for it to be.

"I'm in a bit of a hurry, but I wanted to tell you that due to your support of Lavi, Director Smith has been dispensed with… finally. We'd been trying to get rid of him for ages, but the idiot two seats to my left is an old jackass, and we needed a unanimous vote."

Allen stared, confused. "Er, who are you?"

"I can't give you my name—sorry, Allen—but know that I'm the one in the middle."

"The… middle?"

Understanding seemed to hit Lenalee first, and Allen figured it out a second too late to stop Lenalee from harshly slapping the Grand Marshall in front of them.

"Why did you do that to Lavi, you bastard?" She hissed, and Allen had to force back a surge of affection for the girl in front of him. He grabbed her in a hug from behind, pinning her arms to her sides before she could do anymore damage. She struggled a bit.

"Stop it, Lenalee," he murmured in her ear.

The Grand Marshall looked stunned, his mouth hanging open and a hand resting lightly on his reddening cheek. "I suppose I deserved that," he said after a moment. "But for what it's worth, I'm really sorry. We had to follow protocol. Honestly, I didn't want to punish him at all, but he pled insanity a bit too convincingly, and we couldn't just let him go without any… repercussions… because otherwise the Pope would be complaining up our asses." He rolled his eyes, looking aggrieved.

"Eh?" Allen asked, blinking. Lenalee had gone limp in his arms, giving up her fight to get free.

There was a beeping noise, and the man took a gadget out from his back pocket. Allen had learned that this was a cell phone.

"Sorry, Generals," he said to them. "Yes? Er, yes, that's me… WHAT! Already? Oh, shit! I'll be there right away. Thanks, Gerald." He snapped it closed and turned his gaze once again to them.

"What's wrong?" Allen asked. The man had a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"My wife is giving birth right now. I've gotta go." The man turned on his heel and started to run off.

"Wait!" Lenalee shouted after him, and he paused, turning.

"Yeah?"

"You can see your families?" She asked, her question almost desperate. Allen could hear tears forming in her voice, and he wanted to take away the pain that was making itself evident in her actions.

"Of course. Couldn't you?" The Grand Marshall asked.

"No," Lenalee said, sounding defeated. The Grand Marshall nodded in their direction and made to take off again. He stopped after a moment. "Oh, and the new Director wants to see all the Exorcists!" This time, he didn't stop as he sprinted off, glancing at his watch every few seconds as if that would make time slow down.

Allen held Lenalee until she stood on her own power again. She turned to him and wrapped her arms tightly around his middle. "It's so unfair," she whispered, and Allen ran his hand over the back of her head, petting her hair lightly.

"I know," he murmured back, pulling her closer. "But life is never fair. Exorcists know it better than anyone else."

"I don't know what I'd do without you, Allen," Lenalee said against his chest.

"Me too."

"Shall we see if they're okay, then?" Allen said after an interminable length of time. Lenalee nodded, and they made their way to Kanda's room.

He knocked hard. "Kanda, Lavi, we've got a meeting in the Director's office," he said. The door opened a minute later, and the four of them walked together to see the new Director. Out of respect, Allen knocked on the door, as he didn't know what kind of person this new Director would be.

"Enter," came a firm, solid voice, and Allen opened the door.

"Ah, you must be Allen Walker, Lenalee Lee, Kanda Yuu, and Lavi—er, do you have a last name?"

"No." Lavi's voice was stiff, resolute.

"I had to ask, because the other Director was grossly incompetent in his records."

"Would you like some help?" Lavi offered.

"Uh, I think if you just filled these out, I'd be fine with that," the Director said, handing them each a large packet of papers. Allen gaped at it. The pages included everything from name to complete medical history to familial status. Grudgingly, he took an offered pen and began to fill it out. Next to him, Lavi scribbled furiously on his own, finishing the entire thing by the time Allen had finished the first page.

"Ne, Yuu, lemme finish yours," Lavi said, and Allen heard the small rustle of their struggle over the packet. A minute later, Lavi placed the two completed packets on the desk and walked back.

"You disgust me, rabbit," Kanda said as Lavi sat back down.

"Shut up, you know you love me," Lavi quipped.

"Che."

Allen grinned. The interaction was so inexplicably normal that it almost felt like Komui would be walking in at any moment. Despite the fact that he was in love with the crazy man's sister, he still had enormous respect for the man, and he missed him nearly as much as Lenalee did.

He didn't even realize when Lavi pulled his packet from beneath his fingers, and he sat back, relieved, as the redhead finished both his and Lenalee's, setting them on the desk when he was done.

"I told you I could help you," Lavi said lightly.

"How did you do that so fast? And why is the handwriting amazing?" The new Director asked, his mouth open in shock.

"I used to be a Bookman," Lavi said, as if that explained it all. But then, Allen supposed, it did.

"Well, anyway, now that we've got that over with, let's continue the meeting."

"Wait," Lenalee said, suddenly. "Where's Miranda? And everyone else?"

"I've already met with them. We talked earlier this morning. You four were still asleep, though, so I waited. The only Exorcists I haven't seen yet are Amanda Colten and Darcy O'Connell."

Allen laughed. "You won't see them until at least mid-afternoon," he chuckled. Sobering, he asked, "I don't think we've heard your name…?"

"Ah," the man blushed slightly in embarrassment. "I'm Lieutenant General Carter A. Williams of the United States Army," he said, giving them a small, two-fingered salute.

"The army?" Lenalee asked in wonder.

"Ah, I realize you're not aware of the current situation," the Lieutenant General began. Allen shot him a mystified look. "This has to do with the new assignment I'm about to give to the four of you—oh, actually, the three of you. And perhaps I'll let Amanda go as well—she deserves to see her family again. It's been years since she was last on leave."

Lenalee tensed, and Allen moved closer to her, placing a bracing hand on her shoulder.

"With the current rise in Akuma sightings and incidents these past few years, the governments of the world have decided to step in and provide aid to the Order. I am the first person to be sent from the United States, as until recently, our forces were split between Afghanistan and Iraq."

"Wait," Lavi said quickly. "Amanda told me America was out of Iraq in 2009."

"Last year, the Akuma began to rise there, and as the countries were already unstable, President Obama reluctantly had a small force return, but it soon escalated out of control, and I rue the day Bush was in office." The Lieutenant General grimaced and Lavi snickered, but Allen had no idea what the man was referring to. "Your mission is to meet with the President and his Cabinet as well as the CIA and the military in order to help decide where to concentrate the forces in the upcoming battles. Though we have no Innocence, there are weapons we have developed that can rip through Level One Akuma. Most importantly, you'll be meeting with the United Nations."

"Who are you sending?" Allen asked, going into what he thought of as his General Mode.

"You, of course, General Walker, and I'd like Kanda Yuu to go with you—if you are feeling up to it?"

Kanda nodded sharply, though Allen saw Lavi look slightly disappointed.

"I'd also like the presence of another General, and since there will be a large crowd upon your arrival, I'd like to send Tuan Chu. Miranda, Amanda, and Artemis all have skills that would be useful in this situation, and General Lee, your Dark Boots could prove invaluable. I would have liked to send Lavi as well, just as a backup, but he has a psych referral to deal with."

Lavi looked angry, and Allen sent him an apologetic look. Lavi nodded in thanks back to him, and Allen turned back to the Lieutenant General.

"Alright. That sounds like a good group. I'd like to see them all before we leave. Er, when do we leave?"

The Lieutenant General laughed. "You'll be on a plane as soon as you're all packed and ready. Take street clothes for the plane ride—it's a good six or seven hours, and then you've got a connection to catch. We don't want Akuma attacking you in the air. It would be too big a blow. In a way, I think air travel is the worst way for you to go, but we don't have enough time for anything else." The new Director hit his desk to emphasize "time," and he looked frustrated at their situation.

"I don't suppose we could go two to a plane?" Allen wondered, but the Lieutenant General shook his head forlornly.

"Believe it or not, the Vatican's decided to cut back on funding, and due to several lawsuits, we now have to pay travel expenses." The man grimaced. "Stupid Bureaucrats," he muttered angrily. "Well, you might as well get ready."

Allen nodded and led the way out, Lenalee at his side.

August 23, 2013—The Dark Order, Main Branch

Lavi stared forlornly at his sun as he walked over to stand with Allen and the rest. Yuu turned around and, catching sight of Lavi, shot him a soulful look in return. Lavi didn't know how to interpret it. Unable to stand just watching, he ran over.

"What?" Yuu asked angrily.

"Just came to say good-bye," he said sadly. If he had had rabbit ears, they would have been drooping.

"Didn't you just do that?" Yuu asked shortly, but he didn't look particularly upset that Lavi had reappeared in front of him.

"Yeah, but… I'm gonna miss you, y'know?" He said, blushing at his awkward admission. Something relaxed in Yuu's rigid face. It was just slight enough that only Lavi noticed.

"Remember what I said about the therapy," his sun said, not making eye contact. Lavi was suddenly struck with how adorable Yuu's social awkwardness was. He quickly closed the distance between them, grabbing the other man's face and pulling him into a full-on, open-mouthed kiss. In front of everyone.

Yuu balked, but then he relaxed, and his arms wrapped around Lavi's. He went rigid again when he heard Allen's shocked exclamation, and he pulled back slowly. "I will, too," he whispered as he stepped back. Lavi nodded, knowing what the man meant.

"Be careful—don't kill anyone!" He shouted, waving as the group departed. Amanda was patting Yuu on the back and Lenalee had a scandalized look on her face. Lavi smiled proudly. He had done well.

Whistling a mournful tune, he returned to his room, which suddenly felt very empty. He pouted a little and grabbed some books from his extensive piles, heading over to Yuu's room. It smelled clean and crisp with just the subtlest hints of lotuses and cinnamon, just like the man himself. He sat gingerly on the bed and waited until his first appointment at two o'clock. He was not looking forward to it.

To pass the time, he read several books, but he found that he wasn't enjoying them as much as he would have if his sun had been there. He sighed. Lavi didn't think he would be able to survive the next week and a half. But he'd have to. He wasn't a girl, first of all, and second of all, he had Yuu's return to look forward to, and that was enough to keep him going, right?

August 24, 2013—The White House

The Infernal Girl was practically glowing. Every time she looked at Yuu, she got this knowing smile on her face, and she kept touching him, patting him on the back. He flinched from every touch, but she didn't seem to care much. He itched to cut off her hands, but that would be potentially dangerous in front of so many important people.

Today they were visiting the President of the damned United States of America. The nation that had bombed his country, or so he'd heard from Amanda. He didn't particularly care that his people had probably deserved it—it was the principle of the thing.

"Hey, Yuu-pyon!" The idiot girl said, "you look tired!"

"And why do you think that is?" He hissed menacingly.

"Awww, did Yuu-pyon have a nightmare?" The Infernal Girl teased. A vein in Yuu's forehead twitched.

"And if I did?" He bit out, voice colder than frozen mercury. To his immense displeasure, the girl threw her arms around him in a Lavi-ish fashion. Only it didn't feel good, and Yuu shuddered at the contact.

"C'mon, Yuu-pyon, you can tell me!" She shouted, squeezing him. Yuu went very, very rigid.

"Don't you have your boy-toy to annoy?" He ground out through gritted teeth.

Amanda froze. "He's in Ireland right now. He called me last night, saying that he was visiting his sister. Apparently, she was raped and is pregnant with her rapist's child."

Yuu threw the Infernal Girl away from him. "That girl knows nothing of abuse," he hissed, stalking off.

The formerly roaring table of Exorcists was silent. But before he could leave the room, the music starting playing. Abruptly, everyone—including Yuu—gazed at Moyashi, who had gone quite tense. Lenalee was trying to pat him on the arm, but he kept sliding away from her touch.

Several dark-suited men walked in the room, followed by a great many politicians and a black man who looked completely at home in the dining room of the White House. Allen stood upon their entrance, and the other Exorcists followed suit.

"It is a great honor to meet you all," the black man said. Yuu stared openly. This man was obviously in a position of power, but Yuu didn't know the Americans were capable of politeness.

"Likewise," Moyashi said, though he walked very stiffly up to shake hands with the man who Yuu assumed was the stupid nation's President. One of the suited men walked in front of Allen.

"It's just a precaution, but we need your weapon," he said in a deep voice.

"Well, okay, if you insist," Moyashi said, grimacing nervously. Yuu saw the green glow of Innocence activating as the white-haired bean sprout pulled his arm off, forming his overlarge sword. There was a collective gasp of astonishment, and the suited men twitched uncomfortably.

"So this is Innocence," the President said in wonder. "May I touch it?" He asked Moyashi.

"Er, be my guest, sir," Allen said, offering up his sword. The President took it in his hands and stooped at the weight.

"It's heavy," he muttered, surprised.

"Innocence is a heavy burden to bear, Mr. President," General Chu said from behind Yuu.

The President nodded and handed Allen his sword back. "Thank you, Mr.…?"

"I'm General Allen Walker," Allen said, returning his sword to his left arm and shaking the President's hand with his right. Yuu saw the President's eyes go wide for a moment, but he otherwise hid his shock rather well. The President circled around the room, shaking first Miranda's hand, then Artemis's and General Chu's. When he got to Amanda, the idiot girl pulled on his hand and grabbed him in a bear hug, lifting him from the ground.

"It's so cool to meet you, Mr. President!" She exclaimed, an idiotic grin spreading too wide on her face. The President made a small choking noise. Amanda blushed. "Sorry, Mr. President," she added sheepishly, putting the powerful man down and patting at his shoulders.

"That's quite alright," he said diplomatically, chuckling lightly under his breath.

"If I was old enough, I woulda voted for ya!" She shot him the thumb's up.

"Thank you." He moved toward Yuu, extending his hand.

Yuu couldn't quite control the shaking as he gripped the other man's hand—he would have preferred bowing, but they were not in Japan—and he pulled his own hand back to his body the second it was polite to do so, holding it as if it had been burned. He tried to return his breathing to normal, and he hoped no one had noticed. He was very glad this was a private affair. No fucking media to deal with, like there had been when they'd arrived. The President looked a bit concerned, but he moved on to Lenalee, whom he met with a smile.

"What was that, Kanda?" Moyashi whispered deviously in his ear. "You're not thinking of cheating on Lavi, are you?" He cackled softly. Yuu punched him, sending the stupid sprout—who, goddamn it, was taller than him now—sprawling to the ground. The entire room turned to look, but Allen recovered quickly enough that he was in his chair before the President began to speak.

"Well, this is indeed odd company we keep here," he commented, smiling.

They all sat down to lunch, and though the politician side of the table remained very quiet and subdued, the Exorcist side was almost roaring with laughter and cheer. Yuu couldn't bring himself to join in, but he didn't mind the noise for once. He sat stiffly in his chair, eating awkwardly with the stupid western tableware—he wished he had paid more attention to Tiedoll's lessons. The food wasn't horrible, but he felt it was too heavy, too laden with grease, fat, and oils. He glanced at the rest, and though Lenalee and Artemis seemed to be having the same troubles, the other Exorcists seemed fine. Not that he cared.

A female politician spoke up as Allen tossed food at the Infernal Girl. "It's amazing how cheerful you all are. I would've thought, what with all the fighting…" She trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid. The room was now silent, and Yuu wanted to at least make her lose an appendage. An arm wouldn't be bad, they were expendable.

"It's how we stay sane," Amanda said in a haunted tone, staring down at her food. Yuu suddenly felt a tiny inkling of respect for the girl. She seemed to have a serious side as well. Perhaps she was just like "Lavi," hiding her serious side to make others happy.

"That's why we need to end this war," the President said after a moment. "I was shocked by how young you all are, and you've all been fighting for years."

There was much nervous clearing of throats as politicians and Exorcists alike tried to restore the previous cheerful mood of the table. Yuu felt like he was suffocating. Everything was too much, and Lavi wasn't there to crack a joke, take his mind off of things he didn't want to think about…

Like his father. Yuu shuddered, barely keeping the memories at bay. He would see Lavi in less than two weeks. He could last until then.

The President looked on in amazement as Allen stuffed plate after plate of food into his obscenely large gorge. Yuu stayed above the conversation as always, grunting only when people spoke to him. As they finished up, they began exchanging the pleasantries for the situation, and the President stood up, shaking hands all around. As the group disbanded, Yuu walked over to the young black man.

"Excuse me," he muttered quietly, coming up next to him. The President turned to face him.

"Yes?" He asked, seeming surprised.

"I… apologize… for my shaking earlier. It is hard for me to be trusting of anyone," Yuu said haltingly, extending his hand once more. This time, thankfully, it wasn't shaking. The President shook it with an open face and a smile.

"I understand completely," the President said. He nodded gravely and walked off. Yuu felt slightly better, as if a nagging bug by his ear had finally died.

OMAKE:

"Good morning, gentlemen—or gentleladies, as I can't see what gender you are," the middle Grand Marshall said from his illuminated chair.

"Good mooooorning!" Lavi shouted out, waving a cheery hand at the ominous group above.

"You're about to call in sick today, aren't you?" The Grand Marshall asked accusingly.

Lavi froze, his smile fading. "How'd you know I had a hot pocket for breakfast?" He asked in a small voice.

~HOT POCKET!~

A/N: Sorry for the short/crappy chappy. The next one includes more plot movements. Plus, action! It was going to include lurves, too, but it got too long. We got wrapped up in battle scenes. Again.